Portable terminal device and authentication system

ABSTRACT

A portable terminal device of an authentication system includes a first communication unit that performs wireless communication with a vehicle-mounted device by using a first frequency band, a second communication unit that performs ultra-wideband wireless communication using a second frequency band, a notification unit configured to perform a predetermined notification operation, and a first controller that controls the first communication unit, the second communication unit, and the notification unit. The first controller controls the first communication unit to perform wireless communication for authentication with the vehicle-mounted device, and controls the second communication unit to perform wireless communication for measuring a distance from the portable terminal device to the vehicle-mounted device. The first controller causes the notification unit to perform a predetermined notification operation when the first communication unit receives a radio signal indicating that distance measurement fails from the vehicle-mounted device.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 16/026,159 filed Jul. 3,2018, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No.2017-154577 filed on Aug. 9, 2017. The disclosure of the priorapplications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

The disclosure relates to a portable terminal device used in a vehicleand an authentication system using a portable terminal device used in avehicle.

2. Description of Related Art

A smart key system has been known as an authentication system for avehicle. In the smart key system, a portable terminal device such as anelectronic key carried by a user is authenticated by communicating witha vehicle-mounted device through short-range wireless communication, andthus, an action for a vehicle such as an action for unlocking or lockingvehicle doors or an action for starting a vehicle engine is permitted(see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-7457(JP 2010-7457 A)).

Meanwhile, ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless communication (hereinafter, UWBcommunication) through which distance measurement is able to beperformed with high precision has been suggested as one of theshort-range wireless communication techniques. For example, a distanceis able to be measured based on a transmission time of pulse wavesthrough the UWB communication.

SUMMARY

In the smart key system, the authentication between the portableterminal device and the vehicle is performed, and a presence range ofthe portable terminal device is accurately detected in distancemeasurement using the UWB communication. When the smart key systemdetermines whether or not to permit a vehicle operation based on theaccurate detection, it is possible to further improve security orservice quality. However, the UWB communication uses radio wavesincluding a high frequency band which are difficult to be diffracted.The portable terminal device is shielded by a human body or metal fromthe vehicle-mounted device in a certain position of a pocket or acertain content of a bag that stores the portable terminal device, andthus, there is a possibility that communication will not be available.As a result, it is difficult for the portable terminal device to beapplied to the smart key system.

The disclosure provides an authentication system that easily establishescommunication using high-frequency waves between a portable terminaldevice and a vehicle-mounted device.

A first aspect of the disclosure relates to a portable terminal device.The portable terminal device includes a first communication unitconfigured to perform wireless communication with a vehicle-mounteddevice mounted on a vehicle by using a first frequency band, a secondcommunication unit configured to perform ultra-wideband wirelesscommunication using a second frequency band including a frequency higherthan a frequency of the first frequency band, a notification unit thatperforms a predetermined notification operation, and a first controllerconfigured to control the first communication unit, the secondcommunication unit, and the notification unit. The first controller isconfigured to control the first communication unit to perform wirelesscommunication for authentication with the vehicle-mounted device. Thefirst controller is configured to control the second communication unitto perform wireless communication for measuring a distance from theportable terminal device to the vehicle-mounted device. The firstcontroller is configured to control the notification unit to perform thepredetermined notification operation when the first communication unitreceives a radio signal indicating that distance measurement fails fromthe vehicle-mounted device.

According to the first aspect of the disclosure, when high-frequencywaves for distance measurement are shielded and the communication is notavailable between the portable terminal device and the vehicle-mounteddevice, the portable terminal device can notify a user that thecommunication is not available, and can prompt the user to resolve theshielding. Therefore, it is possible to easily establish communicationfor distance measurement.

In the portable terminal device according to the first aspect, thenotification unit may have a vibrator or a speaker, and the firstcontroller may control the notification unit to perform the notificationoperation by generating vibration from the vibrator or generating soundfrom the speaker.

A second aspect of the disclosure relates to an authentication systemincluding the portable terminal device, and a vehicle-mounted devicemounted on a vehicle. The vehicle-mounted device includes a thirdcommunication unit configured to perform communication with the firstcommunication unit, a fourth communication unit configured to performcommunication with the second communication unit, and a secondcontroller configured to control wireless communication performed by thethird communication unit and the fourth communication unit and determinewhether or not to permit a vehicle operation based on a predeterminedaction for the vehicle. The second controller is configured to controlthe third communication unit to perform wireless communication forauthentication with the portable terminal device. The second controlleris configured to control the fourth communication unit to performwireless communication for measuring a distance from the vehicle-mounteddevice to the portable terminal device when authentication succeeds. Thesecond controller is configured to permit the vehicle operation based onthe predetermined action for the vehicle when the second controllerdetects that the portable terminal device is present within apredetermined distance when distance measurement succeeds.

According to the second aspect of the disclosure, a presence range ofthe portable terminal device in which the operation of the vehicleperformed by the predetermined action is permitted can be accuratelylimited to a narrower range through the distance measurement. Thus, itis possible to further improve service quality while further improvingsecurity.

In the authentication system according to the second aspect, the secondcontroller of the vehicle-mounted device may be configured to controlthe third communication unit to transmit a radio signal indicating thatthe distance measurement fails when the distance measurement fails.

According to the second aspect of the disclosure, when thehigh-frequency waves for distance measurement are shielded and thecommunication is not available between the vehicle-mounted device andthe portable terminal device, the vehicle-mounted device can notify theportable terminal device that the communication is not available.

In the authentication system according to the second aspect, the secondcontroller may be configured to control the third communication unit totransmit the radio signal indicating that the distance measurement failswhen the distance measurement does not continuously succeed apredetermined number of times.

A third aspect of the disclosure relates to an authentication system.The authentication system includes the portable terminal device, and avehicle-mounted device mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle-mounted deviceincludes a fifth communication unit configured to perform communicationwith the first communication unit, a sixth communication unit configuredto perform communication with the second communication unit, and a thirdcontroller configured to control wireless communication performed by thefifth communication unit and the sixth communication unit, detect apredetermined action for the vehicle, and control performing of avehicle operation based on the predetermined action. The thirdcontroller is configured to control the fifth communication unit toperform wireless communication for authentication with the portableterminal device. The third controller is configured to control the sixthcommunication unit to perform wireless communication for measuring adistance from the vehicle-mounted device to the portable terminal deviceon a regular basis when authentication succeeds, and the thirdcontroller is configured to cause the vehicle to perform a vehicleoperation based on the predetermined action when distance measurementsucceeds in the wireless communication performed by the sixthcommunication unit within a predetermined period of time before andafter a point of time when the predetermined action is detected andpresence of the portable terminal device within a predetermined distanceis detected, in a case where the predetermined action is detected.

According to the third aspect of the disclosure, since a presence rangeof the portable terminal device in which the operation of the vehicleperformed by the predetermined action is performed can be accuratelylimited to a narrower range through the distance measurement, it ispossible to further improve service quality while further improvingsecurity.

In the authentication system according to the third aspect, the thirdcontroller of the vehicle-mounted device may be configured to controlthe fifth communication unit to transmit a radio signal indicating thatthe distance measurement fails when the distance measurement fails inthe wireless communication performed by the sixth communication unitwithin a predetermined period of time from a point of time when thepredetermined action is detected in a case where the predeterminedaction is detected.

According to the third aspect of the disclosure, when the high-frequencywaves for distance measurement are shielded and the communication is notavailable between the vehicle-mounted device and the portable terminaldevice, the vehicle-mounted device can notify the portable terminaldevice that the communication is not available. Since the notificationis not performed until the predetermined action is detected, it ispossible to further suppress unnecessary notification performed by theportable terminal device.

In the authentication system according to the third aspect, thepredetermined action may be a touch action for a door handle.

In the first to third aspects, the first frequency band may range from300 MHz to 400 MHz.

In the first to third aspects, the second frequency band may range from3 GHz to 10 GHz.

According to the aspects of the disclosure, when the high-frequencywaves are shielded and the communication is not available between theportable terminal device and the vehicle-mounted device, since theportable terminal device can notify the user that the communication isnot available and prompt the user to resolve the shielding, it ispossible to provide the authentication system that easily establishesthe communication using the high-frequency waves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance ofexemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denotelike elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an authentication systemaccording to first and second embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an available communicationrange and a predetermined distance range used in result determination ofcommunication for distance measurement according to the first and secondembodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing according to the firstembodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing according to the secondembodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Outline

In an authentication system according to aspects of the disclosure, itis possible to further improve security or quality by specifying anaccurate presence range of a portable terminal device through distancemeasurement, in addition to authentication. When high-frequency wavesfor distance measurement are shielded and communication is not availablebetween the portable terminal device and a vehicle-mounted device, sincethe portable terminal device can notify a user that the communication isnot available and prompt the user to resolve the shielding, it ispossible to easily establish the communication for distance measurement.

First Embodiment

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the disclosure will be described in detailby referring to the drawings.

Configuration

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an authentication system 10according to the present embodiment. The authentication system 10includes a portable terminal device 100, and a vehicle-mounted device200 mounted on a vehicle 400.

The portable terminal device 100 includes an ultra-high frequency (UHF)communication unit 102 functioning as a first communication unit, anultra-wideband (UWB) communication unit 103 functioning as a secondcommunication unit, a controller 101 functioning as a first controller,and a notification unit 104. The vehicle-mounted device 200 includes aUHF communication unit 202 functioning as a third communication unit, aUWB communication unit 203 functioning as a fourth communication unit,and a controller 201 functioning as a second controller.

The portable terminal device 100 and the vehicle-mounted device 200mainly perform communication for authentication by respectively usingthe UHF communication units 102, 202. Although it has been in thepresent embodiment that radio waves having a frequency band of, forexample, 300 to 400 MHz, are used in the above-described communication,radio waves having another frequency band may be used. For example,radio waves having an LF band may be partially used.

The portable terminal device 100 and the vehicle-mounted device 200mainly perform communication for distance measurement by respectivelyusing the UWB communication units 103, 203. Radio waves includingfrequencies of a frequency band higher than a frequency band of theradio waves used by the UHF communication units 102, 202 are used in theabove-described communication. For example, the UWB communication usinga frequency band of 3 to 10 GHz is performed in the present embodiment.

The notification unit 104 of the portable terminal device 100 has avibrator or a speaker, and can alert a user who carries the portableterminal device 100 by generating vibration or sound.

The functions of the units of the portable terminal device 100 and thevehicle-mounted device 200 are controlled by the controllers 101, 201,respectively.

Wireless Communication

FIG. 2 shows an example of an available communication range. Anavailable communication range 501 of the UHF communication units 102,202 is a range of about 10 m or less from an antenna provided in thevehicle 400. That is, it is possible to perform authentication as longas the portable terminal device 100 is within the availablecommunication range 501.

Processing

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing performed by thevehicle-mounted device 200 when the portable terminal device 100 entersthe available communication range 501 of the UHF communication units102, 202. The processing will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

Step S101: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 performscommunication for authentication with the UHF communication unit 102controlled by the controller 101 of the portable terminal device 100 byusing the UHF communication unit 202.

Step S102: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200determines whether or not the authentication succeeds based on thecommunication result. For example, the authentication is performed byobtaining an identifier of the portable terminal device 100 throughencryption communication and collating the obtained identifier. Theprocessing proceeds to step S103 when the authentication succeeds, andreturns to step S101 when the authentication does not succeed. When thecommunication with the portable terminal device 100 is lost, since thereis a relatively high possibility that the portable terminal device 100will be out of the available communication range 501 of the UHFcommunication units 102, 202, the processing of the present flowchart isstopped. Even though the authentication succeeds, the communicationbetween the UHF communication units 202, 102 is performed on a regularbasis in parallel with the subsequent processing, and the processing ofthe present flowchart is stopped when the communication with theportable terminal device 100 is lost.

Step S103: a value is set to zero by initializing a counter for countingthe number of times of continuous failures of the subsequentcommunication for distance measurement.

Step S104: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 performscommunication for distance measurement with the UWB communication unit103 controlled by the controller 101 of the portable terminal device 100by using the UWB communication unit 203.

Step S105: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200determines whether or not the distance measurement succeeds based on thecommunication result. The processing proceeds to step S106 when thedistance measurement succeeds, and proceeds to step S107 when thedistance measurement does not succeed. When the distance measurementdoes not succeed, there is a relatively high possibility that theportable terminal device 100 will be within the available communicationrange 501 of the UHF communication units 102, 202 and will be shieldedby a human body or metal such as a laptop within a bag from the antenna.

Step S106: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200determines whether or not a distance between the antenna of the UWBcommunication unit 203 and the portable terminal device 100, which isindicated by the result of the distance measurement, is within apredetermined distance. It is preferable that the predetermined distanceis, for example, a value which is less than an available communicationdistance of the UHF communication units 102, 202, and may be equal to orless than, for example, 2 m. FIG. 2 shows an example of a range 502within the predetermined distance described above. As the determinationresult, the processing proceeds to step S110 when the distance betweenthe antenna of the UWB communication unit 203 and the portable terminaldevice 100 is within the predetermined distance, and proceeds to stepS103 when the distance between the antenna of the UWB communication unit203 and the portable terminal device 100 is not within the predetermineddistance.

Step S107: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200increases a count value by one.

Step S108: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200determines whether or not the count value exceeds a predetermined value.The processing proceeds to step S109 when the count value exceeds thepredetermined value, and returns to step S104 when the count value doesnot exceed the predetermined value. For example, the predetermined valuemay be set to three.

Step S109: since the distance measurement does not continuously succeeda predetermined number of times, the controller 201 of thevehicle-mounted device 200 transmits a radio signal indicating that thedistance measurement fails through the UHF communication unit 202. Whenthe UHF communication unit 102 receives the radio signal indicating thatthe distance measurement fails, the controller 101 of the portableterminal device 100 activates the notification unit 104. Accordingly,the controller 101 of the portable terminal device 100 notifies the userthat the distance measurement fails. Thereafter, the processing proceedsto step S103. The user is alerted through the notification, and movesthe portable terminal device 100 by changing their posture or directionor moving their bag. Therefore, the shielding is resolved, and thus,there is a higher possibility that the subsequent distance measurementwill succeed.

Step S110: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 permitsthe operation of the vehicle based on a predetermined action. Forexample, when the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203 is providednear a door handle of the vehicle 400, a touch action is performed onthe door handle, and thus, an unlock operation of the vehicle 400 isperformed. Although the processing performed before a predeterminedoperation is permitted is ended with this, the distance measurement isrepeated, and the permission of the predetermined operation may becanceled when the distance measurement does not succeed or the distancebetween the antenna of the UWB communication and the portable terminaldevice is not within the predetermined distance.

Effects

By performing the above-described processing, since the presence rangeof the portable terminal device 100 in which the operation of thevehicle performed by the predetermined action is permitted is able to beaccurately limited to a narrower range through the distance measurementusing the UWB communication, it is possible to further improve servicequality while further improving security. For example, when the antennaof the UWB communication unit 203 is provided near a driver seat, theauthentication system can determine that the portable terminal device100 is present on the driver seat within the vehicle with higherprecision. Accordingly, the authentication system can determine whetheror not to permit an engine starting operation through the pressing of anengine starting button. When the portable terminal device 100 isshielded from the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203, theportable terminal device can prompt the user to resolve the shielding.

Second Embodiment

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the disclosure will be described in detailby referring to the drawings.

Configuration

The functional blocks of an authentication system 20 according to thepresent embodiment are the same as those of the authentication system 10according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and thus, the unitsthereof will be assigned the same reference numerals. The authenticationsystem 20 includes a portable terminal device 100, and a vehicle-mounteddevice 200 mounted on a vehicle 400. The portable terminal device 100includes a UHF communication unit 102 functioning as a firstcommunication unit, a UWB communication unit 103 functioning as a secondcommunication unit, a controller 101 functioning as a first controller,and a notification unit 104. The vehicle-mounted device 200 includes aUHF communication unit 202 functioning as a fifth communication unit, aUWB communication unit 203 functioning as a sixth communication unit,and a controller 201 functioning as a third controller.

Processing

Processing in the present embodiment is different from the processingperformed in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showingprocessing performed by the vehicle-mounted device 200 when the portableterminal device 100 according to the present embodiment enters anavailable communication range 501 of the UHF communication units 102,202. The processing will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

Step S201: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 performscommunication for authentication with the UHF communication unit 102 ofthe portable terminal device 100 by using the UHF communication unit202.

Step S202: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200determines whether or not the authentication succeeds based on thecommunication result. For example, the authentication is performed byobtaining an identifier of the portable terminal device throughencryption communication, and collating the obtained identifier. Theprocessing proceeds to step S203 when the authentication succeeds, andreturns to step S201 when the authentication does not succeed. When thecommunication with the portable terminal device 100 is lost, since thereis a relatively high possibility that the portable terminal device 100will be out of the available communication range 501 of the UHFcommunication units 102, 202, the processing of the present flowchart isstopped. Even though the authentication succeeds, the communicationbetween the UHF communication units 102, 202 is performed on a regularbasis in parallel with the subsequent processing, and the processing ofthe present flowchart is stopped when the communication with theportable terminal device 100 is lost.

Step S203: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 performscommunication for distance measurement with the UWB communication unit103 of the portable terminal device 100 by using the UWB communicationunit 203.

Step S204: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200determines whether or not a predetermined action for the vehicle such atouch action for the door handle is detected. The processing proceeds tostep S205 when the predetermined action for the vehicle is detected, andproceeds to step S207 when the predetermined action for the vehicle isnot detected.

Step S205: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200determines whether or not the distance measurement succeeds based on thecommunication result. The processing proceeds to step S206 when thedistance measurement succeeds, and proceeds to step S208 when thedistance measurement does not succeed. When the distance measurementdoes not succeed, there is a relatively high possibility that theportable terminal device 100 will be within the available communicationrange 501 of the UHF communication units 102, 202 and will be shieldedby a human body or metal such as a laptop within a bag from the antennaof the UWB communication unit 203.

Step S206: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200determines whether or not a distance between the antenna of the UWBcommunication unit 203 and the portable terminal device 100, which isindicated by the result of the distance measurement, is within apredetermined distance. It is preferable that the predetermined distanceis, for example, a value which is less than an available communicationdistance of the UHF communication units 102, 202, and may be equal to orless than, for example, 2 m. As the determination result, the processingproceeds to step S209 when the distance between the antenna of the UWBcommunication unit 203 and the portable terminal device 100 is withinthe predetermined distance, and proceeds to step S207 when the distancebetween the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203 and the portableterminal device 100 is not within the predetermined distance. Althoughthe communication for distance measurement is performed at predeterminedtime intervals multiple times, it is preferable that a distancemeasurement result at a point of time closest to a point of time whenthe predetermined action is detected is used in the determination. Whenthe distance between the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203 andthe portable terminal device 100 is not within the predetermineddistance, the authentication system can determine that the detectedpredetermined action is not performed by the user.

Step S207: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 waitsfor a predetermined time. For example, the predetermined time may be 0.5seconds. Therefore, the processing proceeds to step S203.

Step S208: since the distance measurement does not succeed, thecontroller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 transmits a radiosignal indicating that the distance measurement fails by using the UHFcommunication unit 202. When the UHF communication unit 102 receives theradio signal indicating that the distance measurement fails, thecontroller 101 of the portable terminal device 100 activates thenotification unit 104. Accordingly, the controller 101 of the portableterminal device 100 notifies the user that the distance measurementfails. Thereafter, the processing proceeds to step S203. Since the useris alerted through the notification and moves the portable terminaldevice 100 by changing their posture or direction or moving their bag,the shielding is resolved, and there is higher possibility that thesubsequent distance measurement will succeed.

Step S209: the controller 201 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 performsthe operation of the vehicle based on the detected predetermined action.For example, when the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203 isprovided near the door handle of the vehicle 400 and the controller ofthe vehicle-mounted device detects that the touch action for the doorhandle is performed in step S204, the unlock operation of the vehicle400 is actually performed. Although the processing performed before thepredetermined operation is performed is ended, step S203 and thesubsequent processing may be repeated in order to detect anotherpredetermined action.

Effects

By performing the above-described processing, since the presence rangeof the portable terminal device 100 in which the operation of thevehicle performed by the predetermined action is performed is able to beaccurately limited to a narrower range through the distance measurementusing the UWB communication, it is possible to further improve servicequality while further improving security. When the portable terminaldevice 100 is shielded from the antenna of the UWB communication unit203, the portable terminal device can prompt the user to resolve theshielding. In the present embodiment, since the notification unit 104does not perform a notification operation until the predetermined actionfor the vehicle is performed even though the distance measurement fails,it is possible to further reduce a possibility that unnecessarynotification will be performed. The communication for distancemeasurement will be performed within a predetermined period of timeafter the predetermined action is detected, and the operation of thevehicle may be performed when the communication for distance measurementsucceeds and the portable terminal device is within the predetermineddistance.

In both the embodiments, when a plurality of antennas of the UWBcommunication unit 203 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 is provided,the position of the portable terminal device can be more accuratelyspecified, and a service which more precisely corresponds to a positionof the user can be performed.

Aspects of the disclosure may be comprehended as a method performed by aplurality of computers each having a processor in addition to the systemincluding the vehicle-mounted device and the portable terminal device.The disclosure may also be comprehended as the vehicle-mounted deviceand the portable terminal device constituting the system.

The aspects of the disclosure is applicable to the authentication systemof the vehicle.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus mounted on a vehicle, whichcommunicates with a portable device, the apparatus comprising: a firstcommunication unit, comprising a transceiver, configured to performwireless communication with a portable device by using a first frequencyband; a second communication unit, comprising a transceiver, configuredto perform wireless communication with the portable device using asecond frequency band including a frequency higher than a frequency ofthe first frequency band; a processor configured to: authenticate theportable device based on a communication result of the firstcommunication unit; measure a distance between the apparatus and theportable device based on a communication result of the secondcommunication unit; and notify the portable device in response to (1)authenticating the portable device succeeding and (2) measuring thedistance between the apparatus and the portable device failing.
 2. Theapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to permit vehicle operation corresponding to an action of auser in response to (1) authenticating the portable device succeedingand (2) measuring the distance between the apparatus and the portabledevice succeeding.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein theprocessor is further configured to permit the vehicle operation inresponse to a distance measurement between the apparatus and theportable device being within a range of threshold values and does notpermit the vehicle operation in response to the distance measurement isnot within the range of threshold values.
 4. The apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein the action is a touch action for a door handle.
 5. Theapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first frequency band rangesfrom 300 MHz to 400 MHz.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, whereinthe second frequency band ranges from 3 GHz to 10 GHz.
 7. The apparatusaccording to claim 1, further comprising: a controller configured tocontrol the first communication unit to perform wireless communicationfor authentication with the portable terminal device, and control thesecond communication unit to perform wireless communication formeasuring the distance from the vehicle-mounted device to the portableterminal device when authentication succeeds.
 8. An authenticationsystem comprising: the apparatus according to claim 1; and a portabledevice comprising: a third communication unit, comprising a transceiver,configured to perform wireless communication with the firstcommunication unit using the first frequency band; a fourthcommunication unit, comprising a transceiver, configured to performwireless communication with the second communication unit for measuringthe distance with the apparatus and the portable device, wherein theportable device is configured to receive a notification from theapparatus in response to (1) authenticating the portable devicesucceeding and (2) measuring the distance between the apparatus and theportable device failing.
 9. The authentication system according to claim8, wherein the portable device further comprises a controller configuredto control the third communication unit to perform wirelesscommunication with the first communication unit and control the fourthcommunication unit to perform wireless communication with the secondcommunication unit.
 10. A portable device, which communicates with anapparatus mounted on a vehicle, the portable device comprising: a firstcommunication unit, comprising a transceiver, configured to performwireless communication for authenticating with an apparatus mounted on avehicle by using a first frequency band; a second communication unit,comprising a transceiver, configured to perform wireless communicationfor the apparatus to measure a distance between the apparatus and theportable device using a second frequency band including a frequencyhigher than a frequency of the first frequency band, wherein theportable device is configured to receive information in response to (1)the apparatus authenticating the portable device on the basis of aresult of the wireless communication using the first frequency bandsucceeding and (2) the apparatus measuring a distance between theapparatus and the portable device failing.
 11. The portable deviceaccording to claim 10, further comprising a processor configured tonotify a user of the portable device in response to receivinginformation that the apparatus measuring a distance between theapparatus and the portable device failed.
 12. The portable deviceaccording to claim 10, further comprising a controller configured to:control the first communication unit to perform the wirelesscommunication for authentication with the apparatus, and control thesecond communication unit to perform the wireless communication formeasuring the distance from the portable terminal device to thevehicle-mounted device.
 13. A method comprising: performing wirelesscommunication, using a first communication unit, comprising atransceiver, of an apparatus, with a portable device by using a firstfrequency band; performing wireless communication, using a secondcommunication unit, comprising a transceiver, of the apparatus, with theportable device using a second frequency band including a frequencyhigher than a frequency of the first frequency band; authenticating theportable device based on a communication result of the firstcommunication unit; measuring a distance between the apparatus and theportable device based on a communication result of the secondcommunication unit; and notifying the portable device in response to (1)authenticating the portable device succeeded and (2) measuring thedistance between the apparatus and the portable device failed.
 14. Themethod of claim 13, further comprising permitting vehicle operationcorresponding to an action of a user in response to (1) authenticatingthe portable device succeeding and (2) measuring the distance betweenthe apparatus and the portable device succeeding.
 15. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium storing a program that, when executed by acomputer, causes the computer to execute a process, the processcomprising: performing wireless communication, using a firstcommunication unit, comprising a transceiver, of an apparatus, with aportable device by using a first frequency band; performing wirelesscommunication, using a second communication unit, comprising atransceiver, of the apparatus, with the portable device using a secondfrequency band including a frequency higher than a frequency of thefirst frequency band; authenticating the portable device based on acommunication result of the first communication unit; measuring adistance between the apparatus and the portable device based on acommunication result of the second communication unit; and notifying theportable device in response to (1) authenticating the portable devicesucceeded and (2) measuring the distance between the apparatus and theportable device failed.
 16. The non-transitory computer readable mediumof claim 15, wherein the process further comprises permitting vehicleoperation corresponding to an action of a user in response to (1)authenticating the portable device succeeding and (2) measuring thedistance between the apparatus and the portable device succeeding.
 17. Amethod comprising: performing wireless communication, using a firstcommunication unit, comprising a transceiver, of a portable device, withan apparatus by using a first frequency band for authenticating theportable device; performing wireless communication, using a secondcommunication unit, comprising a transceiver, of the portable device,with the apparatus using a second frequency band including a frequencyhigher than a frequency of the first frequency band for the apparatus tomeasure a distance between the apparatus and the portable device; andreceiving, at the portable device, information in response to (1) theapparatus authenticating the portable device on the basis of a result ofthe wireless communication using the first frequency band succeeding and(2) the apparatus measuring a distance between the apparatus and theportable device failing.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprisingnotifying a user of the portable device in response to receivinginformation that the apparatus measuring a distance between theapparatus and the portable device failed.
 19. A non-transitory computerreadable medium storing a program that, when executed by a computer,causes the computer to execute a process, the process comprising:performing wireless communication, using a first communication unit,comprising a transceiver, of a portable device with an apparatus byusing a first frequency band for authenticating the portable device;performing wireless communication, using a second communication unit,comprising a transceiver, of the portable device with the apparatususing a second frequency band including a frequency higher than afrequency of the first frequency band for the apparatus to measure adistance between the apparatus and the portable device; and receiving,at the portable device, information in response to (1) the apparatusauthenticating the portable device on the basis of a result of thewireless communication using the first frequency band succeeding and (2)the apparatus measuring a distance between the apparatus and theportable device failing.
 20. The non-transitory computer readable mediumof claim 19, wherein the process further comprises notifying a user ofthe portable device in response to receiving information that theapparatus measuring a distance between the apparatus and the portabledevice failed.